Granted Patent B2

US 12,479,088 · App. 18/662,382 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Inventor: Nicola Diolaiti (Menlo Park, CA)

Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.

B25J9/065A61B34/35A61B34/37G05B19/4155A61B2034/301G05B2219/50391

Abstract

Claims (46)

1 . A system comprising:

a control device configured to receive user inputs;

a manipulator system including an actuator configured to receive and drive a steerable device; and

a control system communicatively coupled to the manipulator system and the control device, the control system configured to:

track a virtual user-instructed position based on a first user input;

determine a device position of a portion of the steerable device;

determine a position discrepancy between the determined device position and the virtual user-instructed position;

receive a second user input commanding motion of the steerable device; and

in response to the second user input, reduce the position discrepancy.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to reduce the position discrepancy by reducing tension in a steering control of the steerable device.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reduction of the position discrepancy is based on at least one of a magnitude of the second user input or a duration of the second user input.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reduction of the position discrepancy is based on at least one of a shape of the steerable device or a sensitivity of a passageway in which the steerable device is disposed.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein reducing the position discrepancy includes applying a velocity modification to the second user input.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the velocity modification is configured such that control of the steerable device is more sensitive to input that reduces the position discrepancy than to input that increases the position discrepancy.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second user input is in a direction at least partially opposite a direction of the first user input.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to:

receive a third user input commanding motion of the steerable device in a same direction as the first user input;

determine that the third user input causes the position discrepancy to exceed a threshold; and

suppress a response to the third user input based on the determination that the third user input causes the position discrepancy to exceed the threshold.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to:

detect a fault; and

in response to the fault, reduce the position discrepancy without motion of the steerable device that is perceptible to an operator.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the control system is configured to reduce the position discrepancy in response to the fault by eliminating tension in a steering control of the steerable device.

11 . A method comprising:

receiving, from a master controller, a first user input indicating a movement of a steerable device;

tracking a virtual user-instructed position based on the first user input;

controlling motion of the steerable device based on the first user input;

determining a device position of a portion of the steerable device;

determining a position discrepancy between the determined device position and the virtual user-instructed position;

receiving a second user input from the master controller; and

in response to the second user input, reducing the position discrepancy.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving the first user input and the second user input from a common control device of the master controller.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein reducing the position discrepancy includes reducing tension in a steering control of the steerable device.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein reducing the position discrepancy includes modifying the second user input based on at least one of a magnitude of the second user input or a duration of the second user input.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein reducing the position discrepancy includes modifying the second user input based on at least one of: a shape of the steerable device or a sensitivity of a passageway in which the steerable device is disposed.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein reducing the position discrepancy includes applying a velocity modification to the second user input.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the velocity modification is configured such that control of the steerable device is more sensitive to input that reduces the position discrepancy than to input that increases the position discrepancy.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

detecting a third user input in a same direction as the first user input;

determining that the third user input causes the position discrepancy to exceed a threshold; and

suppressing a response to the third user input based on determining that the third user input causes the position discrepancy to exceed the threshold.

19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

detecting a fault; and

in response to the fault, controlling the steerable device to reduce the position discrepancy without movement of the steerable device that is perceptible to an operator.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

in response to the fault, eliminating tension in a steering control of the steerable device.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (58)